About two dozen ward two residents gathered in Thurlow Monday to vent concerns, hear about council’s proposed 2017 investments in that part of the city and be updated on the status of numerous 2016 projects.

Attendees got a glimpse into the city’s draft 2017 capital budget to be discussed by council over three days next week.

The $36.2 million in spending accounts for about 105 projects, to be funded from several sources such as taxes, debt, user rates and reserves.

The 2017 expenditures could translate into a 3.47 per cent, but as Coun. Paul Carr pointed out, “there are a lot of issues in this capital budget and every one of them are eligible to be chopped. Don’t get alarmed, that’s a draft.” He equated that to the tax impact for Cannifton rural being -0.35 in 2016 and 0.09 for Cannifton urban.

Some of the things on the books for Thurlow in 2016 include $1.8 million for Mudcat Road reconstruction.

Staff will also be asking council to approve $520,000 to fix Casey Road.

Funds could also be allocated to start the design for Putnam Road rehabilitation.

The Latta Bridge as well as Bell Creek Bridge rehabilitation will also be discussed.

“We’re trying to make sure these bridges are in good condition,” Carr said, adding the budget already has set a fixed $1 million aside for ongoing rural road resurfacing, a program that started this year.

Thurlow got two new fire halls this year, Carr said. Mineral Road and Maitland Drive reconstruction and water and sewer extension will require an extra $1.7 million to the allocated $10.2 million

“There are some delays in that project as well,” Carr said, of the issues created by ministry approvals and other property issues.

There is a roundabout factored into the Maitland Drive upgrade, said Coun. Jackie Denyes.

“We have three options on the table of how we’re going to fund that particular project,” said Denyes.

Staff have recommended throwing in the $1.7M and proceeding, but there are suggestions to split the project over two years. Delays are also snarling the completion of the Foxboro bridge and Ashley Street repairs, stemming from damage left in the wake of the 2014 spring floods.

“The Foxboro bridge is one of the city’s top five bridges that must be rehabilitated,” Denyes said.

The meeting, billed as a chance for council to garner feedback on a variety of issues, saw some truck and haulage operators bemoaning the recent restriction of truck traffic on certain Thurlow-area roads.

“It’s killing our business,” one operator noted during the meeting. “We’ve been there for 50 years and they’ve been here for three, so how do they win?”

Carr and Denyes explained, though not a permanent fix, something had to be done to scale back heavy vehicle traffic in swiftly growing residential areas. Studies being done by transport ministry officials could change road configuration in the impacted Cannifton areas like Farnham Road, where truck traffic has been a concern.

“We’ve had a lot of complaints and we’re still getting complaints about truck traffic,” Denyes said.

Carr said at the end of the year the city will sit on about $88 million in cash and investments, with $65 million in reserves, while carrying a debt load of $102 million, of which $78.2 million is tax supported. Principal and interest costs will be about $9.1 million next year. He said the aim of eradicating the debt can be achieved once the infrastructure gap is closed.

“We’re going to get there, but we’re dealing with a backlog,”

he said.

Mayor Taso Christopher noted the city has been playing catch up with infrastructure, but believes the return from some of the debt-funded projects will wash away ongoing skepticism about the spending.

“I believe the municipality is well-positioned to stay aggressive on infrastructure projects,” Christopher said, adding the city is capitalizing on borrowing costs being at an all-time low. “Hopefully that will bring the entrepreneurs and investments, It’s paying off.”